Furnace-charging device.



PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

J. J. BOAX.

FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 3. 1904.

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WITNESS 9. m. WW [Lia/1r M1 PATBNTED JULY 11, 1905.

J. J. BOAX.

FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1904.

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5W4: /aig PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

J. J. BOAX. FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 3, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented Jul 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. BOAX, OF-IWCKEESPORT,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL TUBECOMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FURNACE-CHARGING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,391, dated July 11,1905.

Application filed March 3, 1904- Serial No. 196,337.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. BOAX, a resident of McKeesport, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Skelp-Turning Devices; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to machines for charging tubular skelps intofurnaces; and the object is to improve machines of this kind byproviding means whereby the skelp can be easily rotated before charging,so that the lapjoint will be in proper position when the skelp is inthey welding-furnace.

In the manufacture of lap-weld pipe the flat plates are provided withbeveled or scarfed edges and are then bent into approximately tubularform known as skelp. These skelp are then charged into thewelding-furnace and as they heat are gradually rolled sidewise until inline with the withdrawingopening and when at the proper heat arewithdrawn from the furnace and passed through welding-rolls and over amandrel. In order to secure the greatest pressure on the lapped edges ofthe pipe, it is necessary that said joint be on the upper side of theskelp when it enters the rolls, and as a consequence it is essentialthat the lap-joint be on the upper side when the skelp rests in itswithdrawing position during the final heating stages. This is also ofimportance, for the reason that there will be less tendency of the skelpas it softens under the heat to collapse under its own weight, as mightoccur with very heavy skel p in case they were in such position that thelap-joint were either at the bottom or at one side. Inasmuch as it isdifficult to rotate large-sized skelp in the furnace,careis alwaysexercised to charge them into the furnace with the lap in such positionthat when the skelp has been rolled over to its final heating positionsaid lap will come on the .upper side of the skelp. It is the practice,therefore, to position the skelp in the charging-trough before chargingthe same into the furnace. The weight of skelp for very large-sizedpipes, however, is such that their rotation in the trough of thechargingmachine is a difiicult matter.

The object of my invention is to provide means on the charging-machinewhereby the rotation of heavy skelp for large-sized pipes becomes acomparatively easy matter.

To this end it consists, generally speaking, in providing thecharging-machine with means for raising the skelp out of thechargingtrough, said means comprising antifrictionsupports for theskelp, whereon it can be readily rotated by hand or otherwise, and saidmeans being also arranged to again lower the skelp into the trough.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of acharging-machine with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion thereof on anenlarged scale. Fig. I is a plan view of a portion thereof on anenlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5, Fig. 2. Fig.6 is a similar section on the line 6 6, Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 6, showing the skelp-lifting means in a differentposition.

My invention will be employed with a lapweld furnace of any suitabledescription, the end of the furnace being shown at 1 and provided with acharging-opening 2 and other openings 3 arranged for the insertion of apicker-bar, whereby the skelp can be rolled sidewise in the furnace orfor the insertion of a pusher-out bar, all as is now the practice withfurnacesof this character.

In front of the furnace are a series of tracks 5, on which move wheels 6of the laterallymoving charging-machine, this machine being adapted tobe moved laterally thereon by any suitable mechanism, such as a .motor7, geared to a longitudinal shaft 8, connected to the wheels of thecarriage. This chargingmachineis provided with a longitudinal framecomposed of channel-beams 10, forming ways for the movement of thepushing-carriage 11, which is provided with a standard 12, carrying thepivoted pushing-fork 13. This carriage may be traversed back and forthby any suitable mechanism now used for that purpose, in the drawingsthere being shown for this purpose an endless cable 15, passing around asuitable guide-sheave 16 at the front end of the machine and connectedto a drum 18 on the rear end of the machine and driven by any suitablemotor, such as the electric motor 19. At the forward end of the machineis provided a trough 20 for receiving the skelp 21, in which it restswhile being pushed into the furnace. At one side will be provided asuitable support, such as the skids 22, upon which the skelp arereceived and from which they are delivered to the trough 20, it beingthe practice to move the machine laterally close to the support 22, rolla skel p into the trough 20, then move the machine back into line withthe charging-opening of the furnace, and then push the skelp out of thetrough into the furnace.

The machine so far described is practically old, and all of the featuresso far described may be of any of the usual or permissible forms foraccomplishing these purposes, the specific structure shown having beenselected largely for purposes of illustration.

It will be obvious that with large heavy skelp resting in the V-shapedtrough 20 some difiiculty might be met with in rotating the same, so asto get the lap in the proper posi tion. The side walls of the V-shapedtrough ofl'er considerable friction against the rotation of the skelp,and this part of the work has been found to be quite difficult. Myinvention provides means whereby the skelp will be raised up out ofcontact with the walls of the trough 20 and rests upon antifrictionmembers, so that the rotation thereof will become easy. A large varietyof means for thus raising the skelp out of contact with the trough maybe provided. As shown in the drawings, the longitudinal beams 10 of thechargingmachine are provided at two points with vertical ways 25, inwhich are mounted vertically-reciprocating members 26, having theirupper ends bent inwardly and provided with suitable antifrictiondevices, such as rollers 27, mounted on journals parallel to the axis ofthe skelp. The lower ends of the members 26 are connected to across-piece 29, so that the vertical and bottom members, in effect, forma yoke inclosing the longitudinal beams 10 of the machine-frame. Thetrough 20 will be cut away wherever these lifting-yokes are provided andin practice the trough preferably will be formed in sections, asindicated in the drawings. In the drawings only two liftingyokes areshown; but it is obvious that any number greater than two may beemployerhand they will be symmetrically arranged with reference to theends of the skelp, so that substantially equal portions of the weight ofthe skelp will be carried by the several lifting-yokes. Theselifting-yokes will be raised and lowered by any suitable means, so as tolift the skelp out of contact with the side walls of the trough. I haveshown for this purpose stationary wedge-shaped blocks 30, secured on thefloor of the mill in such position as to contact with the cross-bars 29of the yokes. Preferably rollers or wheels will be mounted in saidcross-bars to reduce the friction on the blocks 30. These blockspreferably will be located adjacent to the skids 22, so that when thecharging-machine is moved over into proximity to the skids to receive askelp the rollers 31 will run onto the inclined blocks 30, thus raisingthe yokes to the position shown in Fig. 6. As a consequence when a skelpis rolled onto the machine it will rest upon the rollers 27 and not inthe trough 20. In this position no matter what the Weight of the skelpmay be it can be easily rotated, so as to bring the lap to the properposition. When the carriage is moved back into line with thecharging-opening of the furnace. the roller-s 31 will run down theinclined blocks 30, thus permitting the lifting-yokes to drop and lowerthe skelp into the charging-trough 20. The arrangement is such that therollers 27 will drop entirely below the supporting-faces of the trough20, so that the tube will beheld by the trough while being charged, thussubjecting the same to sufficient friction to prevent the same fromrotating while being charged and making it practically impossible forthe lap to get out of proper position.

The operation of the lifting mechanism will be readily understood fromthe foregoing description. It is of such a nature that no operation notnow necessary with the chargingmachines need be employed, the mere actof running the carriage over to the skids to receive a skelp and againrunning it back into line with the charging-openingof the furnacesuflicing to raise and lower the lifting means. The antifriction-rollersin the upper ends of the lifting-yokes form a support for the skelp,upon which the latter can be very easily rotated. This makes it possiblewith only a slight effort to bring the lap of the skelp into properposition for charging into the furnace, so that after said skelp hasbeen rolled over to the withdrawing position in the furnace said lapwill be on the upper side of the skelp.

Various modifications may be made in the details of the construction ofthe devices described without departing from the spirit thereof.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with afurnace, of a charging-trough in front of the same, a pusher arranged toreciprocate longitudinally of said trough to push the skelp out of thesame and into the furnace, and antifriction devices arranged to supportthe skelp and permit its rotation and to then deposit the same in saidtrough.

2. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with afurnace, of askelp-support in front of the same, a pusher arranged to reciprocatelongitudinally of said support, and vertically-movable antifrictionmembers arranged to support the skelp out of contact with the support topermit its rotation and then lower the same onto said support.

3. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with a furnace, of aV-shaped chargingtrough in front of the same, a pusher-arranged toreciprocate longitudinally of said trough to push the skelp out of thesame and into the furnace, a vertically-movable member mounted on saidtrough and having its upper end extending crosswise of said trough andarranged when elevated to support the skelp out of contact with thetrough to permit its rotation, and means for raising and lowering saidmember.

4. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with a furnace, of acharging-trough in front of the same, a pusher arranged to reciprocatelongitudinally of said trough to push the skelp out of the same and intothe furnace, vertically-movable members mounted on said trough, meansfor raising and lowering the same, and antifriction devices carried bysaid members and arranged to support the skelp out of contact with saidtrough to permit its rotation.

5. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with a furnace, of acharging-trough in front of the same, a pusher arranged to reciprocatelongitudinally of said trough to push the skelp out of the same and intothe furnace, vertically-movable yokes mounted on said trough, means forraising and lowering said yokes, and antifriction means on said yokesand arranged to support the skelp out of contact with the trough.

6. In a skelp-charging machine, the com bination with a furnace, of acharging-trough in front of the same, a pusher arranged to reciprocatelongitudinally of said trough to push the skelp out of the same and intothe furnace, vertically-movable yokes mounted on said trough, a pair ofrollers carried by said yokes on axes parallel to the trough, and meansfor raising and lowering said yokes.

7. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with a furnace, of acarriage movable laterally in front of the same, askelp-support on saidcarriage, a pusher arranged to reciprocate longitudinally of saidsupport to push the skelp into the furnace, vertically-movable membersmounted on said carriage, antifriction members arranged on the upperends of said vertically-movable members to lift the skelp off theskelp-support, and means at one side of said furnace for lifting saidverticallymovable members.

8. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with a furnace, ofacarriage arranged to move laterally in front of the same, askelpsupporton said carriage, a pusher arranged to reciprocate longitudinally ofsaid support, vertically-sliding members mounted on said carriage andarranged to lift the skelp off said support, and stationary inclinedways so located that said sliding members will contact therewith in thelateral movement of the carriage and be lifted thereby.

9. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with a furnace, of acarriage mounted to move laterally in front of the same, a skelpsupporton said carriage, a pusher arranged to move longitudinally of saidsupport, vertically-movable members mounted on said carriage,antifriction devices carried by said members and arranged to engage theskelp, and inclined stationary members with which saidvertically-movable members contact in the lateral travel of the carriageand whereby said members are lifted to raise the skelp off theskelp-support.

10. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with a furnace, of acarriage laterally movable in front of the same, a skelpsupport on saidcarriage, a pusher arranged to reciprocate longitudinally of saidsupport, vertically-movable yokes mounted on said carriage, a pair ofrollers carried by each yoke on axes parallel to the skelp-support, andinclined stationary ways with which the lower ends of said yokes contactin the lateral travel of the carriage and whereby they are raised.

11. In a skelp-charging'machine, the combination with a furnace, of acarriage laterally movable in front of the same, a skelpsupport on saidcarriage, a pusher arranged to move longitudinally of saidskelp-support. vertically-movable members mounted on said carriage, apair of rollers mounted in the upper ends of each of saidvertically-movable members, a roller in the lower end of each of thevertically-movable members, and stationary wedge-blocks arranged in thepath of the rollers in the lower end of said verticallymovable membersin the lateral movement of the carriage and serving to raise saidmembers.

12. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination with a furnace, of acarriage laterally movable in front of the same, a chargingtrough onsaidcarriage, a pusher arranged to reciprocate longitudinally of saidtrough, vertically-movable members mounted in said carriage andprojecting into said trough, antifriction devices carried by saidmembers, rollers in the lower ends of said members, and stationaryinclined ways arranged in the path of movement of said rollers andadapted in the lateral movement of the carriage to elevate said members.

18. In a skelp-charging machine, the combination of a carriage, a troughon said carriage, a pusher arranged to reciprocate longitudinally ofsaid trough, Vertically-movable members mounted on said carriage andaryokes mounted on said carriage and arranged I ranged to lift the skelpout of the trough, and to lift the skelp out of the trough, andantiantifriction devices carried by the upper ends friction-rollerscarried by said yokes.

of said members and arranged to support the In testimony whereof I, thesaid JOHN J.

5 skelp. BOAX, have hereunto set my hand.

14:. In a skelp-charging machine, the eom- JOHN J. BOAX. bination of acarriage, a trough on said car- Witnesses: riage, a pusher arranged toreciprocate lon- ROBERT C. TOTTEN,

gitudinally of said trough, vertically-movable l Gr. 0. RAYMOND.

